Intermittant TV remote controller

[Rodney]

I have an older (1992 vintage) TV that is still in good working order and used regularly. However, the controller is becoming very intermittent. Sometimes, when a button is depressed, nothing happens; i.e. it takes several presses on a button to have any effect. The batteries are not the problem, replaced with new to make sure. It acts like the contacts are very intermittent on the most used buttons. I vaguely recall some comments on this type of problem several years back but can not locate the blurb. Any suggestions? The controller does not seem to lend itself to easy disassembly as, other than the battery compartment, seems to be glued together . Brand name is LXI, a Sears product with the controller made in Malaysia. I suspect that a conductive film has finally deteriorated or worn through. Any suggestions on a fix or do I just junk it?

[gerty]

Here's another thread about the same subject, maybe it'll help
http://forum.nutsvolts.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=16664

[CeaSaR]

From that other thread, cheapNdisgusting mentions Caikote 44. If you can't
find it locally, All Electronics has it for $9.95 plus S&H. I think the other big
m-o companies have it also. It can't hurt to check around.

CeaSaR

[Edd]

.


Sir Rodney . . . .

Can you pls identify your LXI remote from the remote choices below . . .plus the TV . . . is it a direct glass view tube set or a larger projo model . . . along with the TV's model #.
Since someone else made the set, with Sears then . . . just retagging it as " their" LXI model .
( That set probably was a Maggot-box or Zee-niths manufacture.)
This is mainly just to assist in non destructively getting INTO the remote case without scratching / cracking / tearing up the remote housing.
(Go to the individual remotes and their size is being magged on up.)

Info:
http://www.replacementremotes.com/LXI/R ... age-1.html

And THEN I can inform you on its cleaning procedure, and application of some of my bottle of aquadag a
" Homogenized- mystical -magic -restorative black pookie and snake oil blend " to be able to then coat and rejuvenate / redeposit all of the surfaces of the units membrane pads.
Said fluid, being extracted from and transferred to a small mailable double bagged 5 mil poly bag.
. . .au gratis . . . and you DO "laks" . . . that AU GRATIS . . .oui ?

73's de Edd
[email protected] . . . . . . . . (Interstellar~~~~Warp~~~Speed)
[email protected]. . . . . . . . (Firewalled*Spam*Cookies*Crumbs)


Creativity is no substitute for knowing what you're doing.
.

[Janitor Tzap]

Hey Edd nice to hear from you again.

I've worked on the Sears LXI TV sets,
and from 1988 to 1992 they were being manufactured by Sanyo/Fisher.

But since I don't have the model number of the set that Rodney has,
I can't be sure.

Also, the problem could be bad solder connections to the battery post/tabs.
This will make the remote act intermittent.

I suggest that the remote be disassembled, and look at the battery post/tabs,
and check the solder connections to the IR LED.
These area's of the PCB are the most susceptible to breaking,
when the remote is dropped or thrown.

Even if you can not see a break in these area's.
It's still a good idea to touch up the solder.

If after that the problem persists.
Then try using the Caikote 44 that CeaSaR has suggested.

If that fails.
Then I would go with Edd's suggestion of going to:
http://www.replacementremotes.com/LXI/R ... age-1.html

As for Edd's

" Homogenized- mystical -magic -restorative black pookie and snake oil blend "

Sorry Edd,
But the small batch I got from you only worked for about a month on the one remote key pad I did.
Then it was back to the same problem.

You know it seems that many of us are seeing this problem with key pads.
From remotes, too phones, or key less numeric key pads on vehicles.

Thou, I'm disturbed by the growing trend that the auto makers are now doing.
On the latest Cadillac I saw a touch screen on the dash that replaced:
The fan/heater controls.
The Radio/volume controls.
GPS/nav.
Hands free cell phone.
And some other features.
I wanted to ask the sales guy what happens if the touch screen goes out.
But he was already busy trying to sell another vehicle to some one else.
{Shakes head}


Signed: Janitor Tzap

[dacflyer]

wow Edd >> nice to see you here again.. where have you been hiding ? really missed you here.
if your hanging out else where let us know so we can visit you more often.

73's to ya...

[Rodney]

Thanks to all who have replied. Since this is an old set and, since my first post, the buttons on the set itself started acting up (not responding properly if at all) I have just replaced the set with a new one. I had checked the battery connections on the old control module and they were fine (no apparent corrosion or fault). Thanks again but I have given up on the old set.

[CeaSaR]

At least you got approximately 20 years of service from the TV. That is something that
is hard put to today's electronics. They seem to go after only a couple of years.

CeaSaR

[Janitor Tzap]

Thanks to all who have replied. Since this is an old set and, since my first post, the buttons on the set itself started acting up (not responding properly if at all) I have just replaced the set with a new one. I had checked the battery connections on the old control module and they were fine (no apparent corrosion or fault). Thanks again but I have given up on the old set.

That's to bad.
But now that you say that even the controls on the set started acting strange.
I bet the MPU for the Tuner was going bad.
Or one of the discrete components {Capacitor, Resistor, Diode, or Transistor} was failing.
Thou...
In many cases the grounding for the Tuner Pack would be the culprit,
and simply re-soldering the grounding plains in the Tuner Pack,
and to the Main board would solve it.

Well.....
This is a mute point now since the set is now no more.

At least you got approximately 20 years of service from the TV. That is something that
is hard put to today's electronics. They seem to go after only a couple of years.

CeaSaR

Agreed.
I'm really upset with crap that has been coming out of China.


Signed: Janitor Tzap

[CeaSaR]

...
Well.....
This is a mute point now since the set is now no more.
...
Signed: Janitor Tzap

Haha! I see what you did there...

CeaSaR

[Edd]

.

Directed responses:

Janitor Tzapp


( And I do still remember the Tzapp aspect . . .with my probably having made it Tzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaapppppp, for it being one long, nice and juicy, prolonged spectacular sparking effect.)

Knowing your related profession, be it part time or otherwise, I can only relate the Janitor aspect as your having to additionally sweep your floors and clean the toilet annually ?. Hi Hi

"Hey Edd nice to hear from you again. "
Thank yuh . . . . thank yuh very much . .(kicking into full . . . Elvis-esque intonation)




"I've worked on the Sears LXI TV sets,
and from 1988 to 1992 they were being manufactured by Sanyo/Fisher."


AhhhhhhSooooo . . . .I was centered in on the 1990 era . . .and the additional San-y-O O O O O (a . . la . . TV commercials) didn’t fully come to my mind at the time of posting.


"I suggest that the remote be disassembled, and look at the battery post/tabs,"


You certainly got that right, as that plated spring wire doesn’t TOTALLY and FULLY take solder “wetting” too well.
I usually use a cutting wheel / Dremel tool, to get down to the bare steel for a portion, so that it can then be retinned and reflow soldered.

"and check the solder connections to the IR LED"



As per the LED leads, the manufacturers IR LED units just may have been in storage too long and being micro-surfactal -oxidized and then being directly stuffed onto their PC boards for flow soldering.
Wiser . . . for that manufacturer to have fluxed the leads and then wet retinned the units in a solder pot before using them on the PCB’s stuff out.
In time . . . one will find the units lead(s) floating, with loose contact in the center of its solder blob(s).
Its then usually subjective to a unit being jarred / dropped and what LITTLE connectivity that WAS being present there, breaks free and floats centrally.



" Homogenized- mystical -magic -restorative black pookie and snake oil blend ",



Sorry Edd,
" But the small batch I got from you only worked for about a month on the one remote key pad I did.
Then it was back to the same problem. "




I didn’t remember YOU as specifically being a one time recipient, only one person from the FAQ electronics site and one from the H&G site with even that last “layman” being successful for . . . . going on ~ 5 years now.
I must have at least 150+ reworks throughout ~20 years after my acquiring my solution . . . . no required reworks.
That colloidial graphite coating source originated in ’90, when I got my “brew”, put into a 12oz . . . now hear this . . . . GLASS . . . Dr Pepper bottle.
It was the aquadag coating used in the process of kine remanufacturing, sourced from 55gal drums and placed for use, into an oval watering tank, like cattle use.
He kicked on the pool pump which mixed in the bottom settled slurry and then he poured me up a fresh “drank “in that thar' bottle.
Sooooooo looks like I was in error in upgrading it to a “Homogenized” condition, as I have placed a small loose silicon rubber ball inside the bottle which is used for fully mixing up the solution with a thorough shaking up and mixing just before its use.
One can see the applied film with those black, micro “Bucky-ball-esque” particulates just glistening on the surface.

I could only attribute your not being successful with the solutions application as to there being not enough preparation of the surface or manner of application.
Those keyboard membrane blocks are either cast of Vinyl or Slicone, with the latter type being the most problematic as it gradually is micro weeping out internal siloxane fluid for some period of time . . . and then its aggravated again if being warmed up by higher than the norm of temperature . (Like leaving it on a warm surface . . .or forbid . .. the dash of a car in the summer.)

Preparation . . .peparation . . .PREPARATION !

The surface preparation is akin to a GOOOD painters involvement in prep being maybe 50% total of his time finally needed. Dust and vacuum down---scrape erose areas down---rinse---degrease/TSP---re-rinse---dry.

Here's a reprint of the precise procedure that I sent to the Home and Garden "layman" in the time past.

>>>
On your remote unit, do an initial cleaning of the vinyl / silicone keyboard blankets front surface with 409 , to get out all of the "nasty" accumulations of ? ? ? ? over the years, finish and set aside too dry.
Move over to the "action" side of the pad and clean it with denatured alcohol degreaser and put away to dry.
Take a round wooden stick typewriter eraser . . . . the one with the plastic cleaning bristles on top . . . and sharpen and then file /blunt off the sharpened end leaving only the 1/32 or so of clearance to the wood on its outside, so that does not intefere. That leaves about a 1/8 upwards to 3/32 in of flat-blunt cleaning rubber end then being exposed.
Use that on the end of a pad in a rotary twisting action of the eraser stick until the contact pad surface is slightly abraded, to a flat matte finish.
(Ascertain that condition by comparing it to an untreated " shiny" one beside it on its reflection of an adjunct light source)
Finish all individual contact pads then use cotton Q tips moistened in MEK to do a final cleansing /degreasing of all prepped contact pads. Final inspect to see that NO . . .repeat . . . NO linters were left on contact surfaces.
Now, move opperations over to the PCB portion and see if it is using inserted contact wires---gold plated metal contacts---or---Fired and deposited colloidial graphite pads.
Degrease and then the use of a Ruby Red eraser is as agressive as you need to get with those contacts to just clean away their time accrued surfactal oxides.
If using fired on graphite technology , be carefull enough so as to not break into the glaze surface on those pcb contact areas .
Finally brush / blow out all eraser debris and quick final degrease each little contact pad with MEK.

Mix up all of the loose particulate accumulations within the Mystical Black Restorative Pookie Mix and prepare a Q-tip, ( of the tightly rolled white paper stick variety ) by aligning a single edge razor blade at its center and rolling both on a table to make a rotary cut and shear it into two flush cut ends.
That makes two applicators with the cotton balls tips being the FINGER GRIP points . .while theother blunted end is dipped in the Mix to initially get a wetting and then again to lift some solution and move it over to the pad to be coated and set the tip down vertically, dauber style to deposit a coating . A slight lateral-rotary action should then cover all of the top of a pad.
Put on a moderate coating level, but never to an excess, such that a doming of that coatings top is observed.
One that has excess, is slow to dry throughout, and might later shear off a portion of its top layer within the remote. If you have an access just transfer off a bit to be the start of the next pad to be worked on.
I then put the pad with all the coated surfaces upwards, under the moderate warmth provided by an overhead incandescant gooseneck desk lamp / or / high intensity halogen worklight to then dry overnight.

Check all of your pads the next day and reassemble the remote and test out . . . all should be well on all treated contacts.
>>>

Now if you troubled with the thoroughness of the above procedure, all should be well until the next spill of some agressive fluid and its creeping into the unit.

73's de Edd
[email protected] . . . . . . . . (Interstellar~~~~Warp~~~Speed)
[email protected]. . . . . . . . (Firewalled*Spam*Cookies*Crumbs)


I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I heard that most people die of natural causes.



.

[Janitor Tzap]

Directed response:

Edd,

In regards to the Keypad repair I tried.

Yes,
I went through the preparation of cleaning the silicone rubber button membrane,
before I applied the "Aquadag" to the carbon pads.

But I didn't tell you where this Keypad was residing.

It was part of a Garage Door Opener System, and the Keypad was mounted outside of the garage.
Thus, this left it exposed to the elements.

Replacing just the keypad was out of the question.
The parts were no longer available for it.
{It was some 10 years old.}
Also the keypad was a non-standard one.
Just 10 numbers {0 - 9 in a 2 X 5 matrix}.
So, I couldn't just swap out the keypad for another one.

When it started acting up again, the home owner said to just leave it.
Since he was planning on getting another Garage Door Opener System any way.
He'd just move this old one too his other garage.
Where he didn't need, or want an outside entry keypad.


Signed: Janitor Tzap